Imagine this: it’s your senior year of high school. This is the last year to see your close friends everyday, to get your grades together, and most importantly, to be at home. With applications, scholarships, and school work being held over your head, where will you ever find time for your social life? Whether you are going to a college that is right down the street or across the county, this is what all the talk is about. How is my life going to look a year from now? Will my life be the same? How long am I going to keep my friends from high school? Keeping these next three things in mind will guide your social life during your high school and college years.
Time never stops. Senior year will be the quickest year of your entire life and will go by in a blink of an eye. I was a student at McDowell High School. The first thing that you probably thought was “Wow, that’s a big high school!” Yeah, you are right, but I also found the perfect group of people to call my friends. This made McDowell seem smaller than it actually was. During my senior year, I thought it was essential to make room in my schedule for my friends and only my friends. Everyday I thought “This might be the last time I see them in my entire life!” I was so influenced by them that I forgot who would be hurting the most when I packed up my bags – my family. My beautiful mother and little sister would be losing a whole soul in our house. Looking back at my senior year, it was the most astonishing, shocking, eye-opening year of my life but it was not complete. The missing part of that year would be from a love that I cannot get from any of my friends. Senior year is the last year that you will be under the same roof as your parents everyday, and this is something that I did not realize. I kind of regret not seeing this. Be sure to spend time with your loved ones! If your mom asks you to go to the grocery store with her, go. If your sibling asks you to go on a bike ride around Presque Isle, go. These little everyday activities are what I missed the most during my first year of college.
Friends come and go. It is always a rush to see who can climb the social pyramid the fastest. With this competition, your “friends” can elbow you in the face and knock you down before you know it. You would have never thought that this person would do this to you, but the spotlight is warm and can only have one person in it. Only be willing to cross rivers for people who would cross it for you. I was so worried about all my friend groups forgetting about me that I would fly across rivers for them not knowing that they would rather me sink than come after them. After graduation day, the social chain of command does not matter. In fact, I feel silly just bring it up and talking about it because this is what genuinely mattered to most people. It was not as extreme as they make it in television shows, but it was definitely of top priority. Nobody cares about who is “popular” or “shy” or “geeky” to be honest. Who gives these people this label anyway? Your real friends will not forget about you and will come back no matter how far you go to school or how long of a break you take from taking to each other. If it is real love and true friendship, they will always come back. I learned that this year when I got home from New York. Little did I know that I would be seeing some people for the last time this past August, and that is okay. They came into my life for a reason, and I am thankful for them being there, but all good things must come to an end.
Every choice you make can impact your future. With the “one last time” adrenaline pumping through everyone’s blood, it can often be forgotten of the brainless activity that you are about to take part in. Peer pressure can get the best of you, but you have to remember your own morals and values. I had a big fall out with my ex best friend due to my own circumstances, and now I cannot go back to the most blissful friendship I have ever had. My example is of the lesser extremes, but there are times when the scale is much more monumental. Every choice is a lesson, but make sure it is worth the lesson and that you blossom from it.
Buckle up for the days you are going to experience in high school and college, because they will go by so fast. It is the time of your life, so live in the moment! Just make sure that as you are collecting these memories, that you look back and say to yourself, “Those were the days, the best days.” I made a lot of new, wonderful friends at college, but there is no feeling like being with those who make you feel at home.

Follow up with me next week to read how to socially survive your first year of college!